World's First
'Eco-Friendly Molded Materials for Furniture'
Hanssem Co., Ltd. (CEO Kim Yu-jin), a comprehensive home interior specialist, announced that it has signed an 'MOU for the development of eco-friendly molded furniture materials using plant-derived bio materials'—a world first—together with LG Chem (CEO Shin Hak-cheol), and is set to actively target the furniture molded materials market.
The market for molded furniture materials, which are used for kitchen cabinets and built-in wardrobe doors, is currently estimated at approximately KRW 500 billion. As interest in eco-friendliness has grown recently, customer demand for the development of eco-friendly molded materials has also become concentrated in the furniture industry. Through this MOU, Hanssem aims to further increase its market share in the molded furniture materials market. Hanssem sells molded furniture materials under the product name 'e'clat' from its building materials brand MSYS.
LG Chem's LETZero Bio ASA (Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate) is a high-performance material that reduces carbon emissions by using plant-based bio feedstock, and it has obtained the global eco-friendly material certification 'ISCC Plus.' LG Chem plans to actively expand the relevant market with LETZero Bio ASA, which adds eco-friendliness to ASA's inherent characteristic of minimal discoloration. Through win-win cooperation with Jinyoung Co., Ltd., Hanssem plans to produce molded materials by bonding a LETZero ASA surface material to the surface of eco-friendly E0-grade medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Jinyoung, a high-performance plastic sheet company that develops and produces surface materials for furniture and interiors, will manufacture the LETZero ASA surface material. The eco-friendly molded materials will also feature a 'Super Clean Coating' that easily and completely removes contaminants that may accumulate during use in kitchens or rooms, delivering ease of maintenance and high durability. In addition, following further testing and development, Hanssem plans to apply the eco-friendly molded materials to special-order furniture and other products supplied to construction companies.
▲ Ko Young-nam, Director of Hanssem's SCM Division (right), and Kim Steven, Senior Vice President and Head of LG Chem's ABS Business Division, pose for a commemorative photo.